Unfortunately, it is often the case that drivers of public transport vehicles such as taxi cabs and buses are prone to assault by side or rear passengers of the vehicle in an attempt to steal from the driver or obtain a free fare, amongst other reasons.
Various remedies to this known problem have been proposed. The use of security cameras mounted within vehicles is now commonplace and these provide some assurance to the driver that activities within the vehicle are being monitored. However, security cameras of this type can be quite sophisticated and therefore their cost quite substantial. Furthermore, the use of security cameras although known to be relatively effective in obtaining the identity of perpetrators, does not provide instant protection for the driver in an assault situation.
Protection barriers have also been proposed. However, these are often quite cumbersome units and are not easily retrofitted into existing vehicles. In addition, existing barriers often cause discomfort to the driver of the vehicle and do not allow for sufficient contact and communication between the driver and passengers. Various known barriers also do not provide specific protection to the vital areas of the driver such as the head and torso regions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.